James Watt

James Watt (30 January 1736-25 August 1819) was a Scottish inventor and engineer who developed the Watt steam engine in 1781, based on Thomas Newcomen's original device. He worked as an instrument maker at the University of Glasgow before becoming interested in engineering, and his steam engine incuded a separate condenser to reduce the energy needed to power the engine, keeping the engine constantly heated. He became highly wealthy and successful due to the success of his device, which made steam engines more cost-effective. Watt invented the concept of horsepower, and the "Watt" unit of power was named for him.